Mid Season Hunts

B

beartooths

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Curious how everyones hunting has been now that we have moved past the opener? Ive been out almost every weekend at least one day. Found a few birds in the Bozeman area on the BMA land, but not a lot. Grouse hunting in this area is definitely better. Heading out this weekend in search of some Huns and Maybe sharptails on some BMA land northeast of Bozeman. :cheers:
 
Bird hunting poor

Been going out couple times per week with my Griff and putting up a few hens and very few roosters and when we do find a rooster their flushing 100 yrds ahead of us. Its nice to get out with the dog and i'm sure he gets wondering why no shooting but even putting up hens has got the dog really hunting hard for pheasant scent.
When the northern ducks start coming out of Canada we will be duck hunting as my Griff loves water and likes to retrieve. Hope we have a better hatch of pheasants next year.
 
Had a good morning out today. Found several coveys of Huns. Hunted a mixture of dryland agriculture and sage brush. Was hoping to find some sharptails and sage grouse but unfortunately came up empty handed. Got a few huns in the freezer and the dogs had a blast. All in all a very successful day. Hunted all BMA property, and WOW were there a ton of deer hunters out, never saw one hiking, all road hunting.
 
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took a few huns this last weekend again, but unfortunately the hunt did not end well. In the midst of a cut wheat field my young german wirehair pointed a small clump of weeds grown up in the middle. As I approached, almost certain it was a bird, she lunged in and immediately came back out with a face full of Porcupine quills! I was able to remove all the quills in the field, except I lost 3 under the skin in her lower chest...one of bad areas to lose quills. nearly two hours later we made it to the vet. After an x-ray, ultra-sound and even cutting into her chest where the quills went in, they had no luck in locating the rogue quills. Antibiotics and a second vet visit still did not turn up the quills....now the waiting game to see if the will fester or resurface! Of course she is acting like nothing ever happened. lets hope for the best that the quills re-surface, and do not migrate towards or into the vitals.
 
I think the quills will fester and you may be able to locate and pop them out?

Best of luck to you and the pup.
 
The bad thing about that sort of encounter is that, at least in my experience, the lesson the dog should learn lasts about 20 minutes and they're ready to get even over and over again.
The Gerber multi-tool I carry in my vest saved a long trip's hunt a few years ago when my friend's GWP decided to retrieve a pin cushion. Not forceps but a strong pliers with fine, well fitting jaws should be carried by hunters in porcupine country.
 
Porcupines, skunks, and possibly badgers are three animals I ponder the point of their existence. Besides really messing up hunting dogs of course!
So far my pup is still doing good. still no luck with the quills festering or re-surfacing yet. The vet also explained that the body sometimes will just block the quills off and isolate them. Basically build a wall of scar tissue around the quill and lock it down. It will live there for the rest of the dogs life.
 
calamari said:
The bad thing about that sort of encounter is that, at least in my experience, the lesson the dog should learn lasts about 20 minutes and they're ready to get even over and over again.
Click to expand...

That's very true. My English setter has been porkied four times on trips to Montana and she dives right on top of them, so she gets a mouthful, a chest full and an outer belly full of quills. Twice the vet has had to knock her out to remove as many as he could find and then keep her overnight. Fortunately, vet prices in rural Montana are extremely reasonable.

We've had quills resurface as much as three weeks after we'd gotten back home.
 
I have heard other stories where quills do not re-surface for weeks to months later. Its an uneasy waiting game, especially knowing what kind of life threatening damage the quills can cause internally. we are going into week 2 since the encounter....still no resurfaced quills but my wirehair decided she had enough of her stiches and ripped them right out....causing yet another trip to the vet to patch the hole in her chest!!
 
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